Olaf, from Frozen, captures the playful innocence that we need. Photo / Supplied
Olaf, from Frozen, captures the playful innocence that we need. Photo / Supplied
COMMENT
A good friend who is studying law has just begun his tenure working alongside a criminal defence lawyer.
The shadowing gives him excellent exposure to abhorrent behaviours from certain (shadier) factions of society including some that are absolutely unthinkable. This immersion in a world of sufferinghas an emotional impact, of course.
This impact seems to fade with time - the wash of stories carves a fortified path through the bedrock of the brain and takes a path of least resistance straight through the head and back out.
Until that channel is entrenched though, these thoughts wash over like a creeping spill, accumulating and lingering in the recesses of the brain where they stagnate late at night.
This isn't a matter of pity of course. Many people face these stories on the front line each day, not to mention that for every story there is a victim who has experienced it first-hand.
But it does beg the question - how does one protect themselves from a world of suffering that they have previously been so unfamiliar with?
For many, ignorance is bliss. I know people around my age who actively avoid the consumption of current affairs, simply because they are so unappetising. What is it that has switched us off?
Is our news cycle more fixated on things which bring an emotional response? Is our current outlook grimmer than ever before? Or are we less resilient than in the past?
Regardless of the cause, I have the solution. But first we have to analyse why it works.
Lift your spirits with some innocuous Frozen 2 merchandise that can't help but make you smile. Photo / AP
Christmas was pretty all right, wasn't it? Forgot to ask you until now sorry. And the value in Christmas, if you ask me, is that is it a reversion to childlike joy - the excitement and bountiful energy of youth, the wonder of Santa and promise of gifts, weeks of holidays, good food, rare company.
When you revisit that time of year that once held such magic for you, it stirs the same feelings as it held then - like going back to a favourite place or seeing an old friend.
I'm not so naive as to think that it's a stress-free time of year for many, or even most people - quite the opposite. But I do know that being immersed in the festivities is an escape for most people from the stress that it itself brings. The childhood simplicity and pleasure are a welcome getaway.
So how do we capture this feeling year-round? How do we carry that wonderment with us for the other 11 months and live with that same carefree attitude of youth? And more so, how do we do it when confronted with the most repugnant things a person can do to another person?
The answer is a children's watch from a big red shop, branded with the characters of a kids' movie that is rather popular right now. Dainty, light blue plastic with multicoloured love hearts on the strap, and Sisters Forever emblazoned across the face, which is designed to fit the wrist of, and appeal to girls about 7.
So if you're in court this week (one would hope not), and your 6 foot tall, 85kg duty lawyer checks the time using his Frozen 2 watch that covers about a 20 cent piece-sized portion of his trunk-like wrist, I assure you he is not incompetent - he's just reminding himself not to take it all too seriously.
